> The life cycle analysis focuses on the wind power plant as the basic functional object instead of a single wind turbine. Our results show that present-day wind power plants have a lifetime emission intensity of 5.0–8.2 g CO2/kWh electricity, a range significantly lower than estimates in previous studies.
> Our estimate suggests that wind is currently the most desirable renewable energy in terms of minimizing CO2 emissions per kWh of produced electricity [2].
2014 IPCC, Global warming potential of selected electricity sources [3]:
+--------------------------+------+--------+-------+
| Technology | Min. | Median | Max. |
+--------------------------+------+--------+-------+
| Biomass – Dedicated | 130 | 230 | 420 |
| Coal – PC | 740 | 820 | 910 |
| Concentrated solar power | 8.8 | 27 | 63 |
| Gas – combined cycle | 410 | 490 | 650 |
| Geothermal | 6.0 | 38 | 79 |
| Hydropower | 1.0 | 24 | 22001 |
| Nuclear | 3.7 | 12 | 110 |
| Ocean (Tidal and wave) | 5.6 | 17 | 28 |
| Solar PV – rooftop | 26 | 41 | 60 |
| Solar PV – Utility scale | 18 | 48 | 180 |
| Wind Offshore | 8.0 | 12 | 35 |
| Wind Onshore | 7.0 | 11 | 56 |
+--------------------------+------+--------+-------+
[2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S09601...
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life-cycle_greenhouse_gas_emis...
Here is another article stating a payback time of 12.3 months: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257564430_Life_Cycl...
Source? Also, there was a study[1] published recently that found natural gas polluted worse than expected.
[1] https://m.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/gas-bridge-fuel_n_5f7f74f0...
The environmental/carbon impact of having a windmill megawatt over existing natural gas production is slim. The carbon cost of refining several dozen tons of steel and metal for the thing, ruins the benefit. The things dont work very well for the cost, and they dont last. They require service all the time. They have a crane to take the generator/transmission out of the whole thing to work on it.
Whenever you consider the total "carbon cost" most of the zero emission green tech falls flat. Hydroelectric, geothermal, and nuclear are still the only commercially feasible zero carbon. Everything else is being subsidized. In place upgrades to existing fossil fuel plants is the best short-term solution. Profitable natural gas, with carbon offset trade (forestry/tree-planting) is the best long-term solution imo.